Prime
by Oni-Gil
Summary: Precursor to "Void." Adopted from the TF bunny farm. Minor spoilers for season 2 of Animated. If "Longarm" managed to become a Prime, is it possible that any other Decepticon was once a Prime as well?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Adopted a prompt from the TF bunny farm... gosh, I didn't know that other people had such weird ideas as I do!!! Actually, this is one of the plot elements that I _didn't_ like from TF: Animated, the way "Prime" was just a rank that could be achieved rather than this big special thing, but how could I resist doing this with my favorite character?

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Prompt #80

Title: Prime

Universe: Animated

Rating: K+, PG (mentions of character death… woohoo…)

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"Longarm Prime," Starscream jeered, leaning back in his chair and resting both thrusters on the half-repaired console. "They'll let anyone into that rank, won't they?"

Shockwave's Autobot façade was nonplussed. "Where is Megatron?"

Starscream smirked, swiveling the chair from side to side. "Not here. Feel free to leave a message."

Shockwave looked past him, taking in the half-destroyed bridge of the Nemesis. "What happened?"

"An unfortunate accident. It is my great… sorrow to report that Megatron was lost in pursuit of the Allspark. Such a tragedy. And so, with a heavy Spark, I must step forward to assume leadership of the Decepticons."

Longarm's optics narrowed suspiciously. "I don't trust you. Let me speak to Blitzwing."

"He isn't here either," Starscream answered easily. "But surely whatever you have to say should be entrusted to the audios of the Supreme Decepticon Leader."

"I wouldn't be so quick to promote yourself, Starscream."

"And why not?" the Seeker spat, amiable mood faltering. "I was Megatron's second-in-command. Now that he has been terminated, I am rightfully—"

"I'm not sure that the Decepticons will follow you… not when they learn about your background."

Starscream sat up, scowling at the screen. "What do you mean?" he hissed.

"I'm not the first Decepticon to have achieved the rank of Prime," Shockwave deadpanned. Starscream's optics widened. "The Supreme Decepticon Leader can _never_ have been an Autobot… or don't you agree, Nova Prime?"

Starscream shot to his landing struts. "Nova Prime is dead! As far as the records show, he never existed!"

"Not to the Elite Guard's chief intelligence officer," the spy said. "It wasn't hard to come to that conclusion, especially since your Decepticon habits were foreshadowed… most notably when you murdered your partner."

"I didn't kill him!" Starscream shrieked, aiming a null-ray at the black-faced Longarm as though that would affect him. Shockwave, thousands of light-years away and perfectly safe, didn't flinch. "They didn't believe me!"

"Neither do I. Tell me, Starscream, why did you do it? Why did you kill poor Sky—"

With a wordless scream of rage, the Seeker closed the connection and the false Autobot's face vanished. So, too, did his voice, before he could finish the name. Starscream sank back into the chair, trembling in fury.

"Nova Prime is _dead_," he repeated, to no one in particular. "I made _certain_ of it…"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Okay, you may want to read "Void," the companion story, before reading this... it'll make more sense. Anyway, I just had to take Shockwave down a peg. Haha.

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"I'll get it," Lockdown called over the annoying buzz of the communicator. Void made an uncaring sound; Lockdown was always the talker, in case it was Megatron on the other end. A moment later, Shockwave's Autobot face appeared on the main viewscreen. "Ah, Longarm Prime. Been a while. Autobot business? 'Course, they never pay enough. Might want to mention that to Ultra Magnus for me, yeah?"

"No Autobot business. Allow me to speak with your partner."

Lockdown and Void exchanged glances. Void shrugged and took his place before the viewscreen.

"Longarm Prime. Lockdown's told me all about you."

"There's no need for the act… Starscream." Shockwave/Longarm leaned forward. "I wonder," he said softly, the Autobot face as expressionless as his voice, "what Megatron would do if he learned the location of the traitor."

Lockdown shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. Void cycled an intake, sneering at the viewscreen.

"I wonder," he retorted coolly, "how much the Autobots would pay if they learned that their chief intelligence officer is a Decepticon spy."

Longarm's optics narrowed. Lockdown chuckled approvingly in the background.

"If you are Longarm Prime, Autobot intelligence officer, then I am Void, bounty hunter," Void went on. "We will protect each other."

Longarm continued to glare for a cycle before saying, with frosty courtesy, "This is acceptable."

Without another word, he closed the connection.

"Think he'll keep to that?" Void asked.

"He'd better," Lockdown said lazily. "I bet Megs wouldn't be happy if all those stellar cycles of work went to waste… because even if he got you unawares, I think I'd be perturbed enough to 'accidentally' let something important slip to the Autobots."

Void chuckled once. It was as close to Lockdown admitting that he liked having the Seeker around as he ever came.


End file.
